Once it’s established at the end of Non Negotiable why Zambrano (known as Lamb) has kidnapped the President and Alan’s wife, Victoria, you kind of root for him.
To recap, Alan Binder used to work with Zambrano in the Mexican Special Forces. During a hostage situation, Zambrano made an unforeseeable error that led to all the hostages getting killed. Zambrano was blamed, dismissed, and sentenced to prison. His wife also lost her chemotherapy treatment due to budget cuts and austerity – the government no longer funded his healthcare, and she died.
Zambrano feels let down by the government, the President, and his friend Alan. He feels like Alan could have done more in the failed hostage situation and at least had his back. Alan did not even visit him in jail.
Does Alan save his wife and the President?
By the movie’s end, Alan manages to save his wife, Victoria, and the Mexican President, but it’s not straightforward. He decides to do it in a way that benefits Zambrano in the long term, knowing full well his old friend’s intentions.
During the hostage situation, Zambrano tied the President up to a polygraph, getting him to admit all the lies, false promises, and corruption on video. With the government trying to take over the hostage situation, Alan has to think on his feet.
He sneaks off and enters the room where Zambrano, his wife, and Victoria are. Alan promises to keep the video that exposes the President and asks if he can take Victoria’s place. In return, he promises to leak the video.
And so, Victoria is released. Now, in the room with Zambrano and the President, Alan moves to the next phase. Alan tells the President that he’ll remove all the video evidence against him, and in return, he wants Zambrano to have a reduced prison sentence—they agree on one and a half years. The hostage situation ends: Alan has saved the President, and Zambrano will only be in prison for a short time.
However, a Hostage Negotiator’s job is only to end the hostage situation—they do not need to keep their promises once the ordeal ends. Unbeknown to the President, they still have all the video evidence of him admitting his lies and corruption. Once leaked to the public, it provokes nationwide unrest, and a general election is called. Zambrano has become a social symbol of change and hope, and the President is sent to prison.
At the end of Non Negotiable, Zambrano calls Alan from prison and asks him if he wants to team up on something bigger. He’s wearing a T-shirt that says “Lamb for President,” confirming that the two friends will run an election campaign next.
Alan Binder (L) and his wife Victoria (R) attending couple’s therapy in ‘Non Negotiable’ (Credit – Netflix)
Do Alan and Victoria stay together?
Alan’s efforts to save his wife also saved their marriage. It’s never confirmed if Victoria had an affair with the fake personal trainer (an imposter for Zambrano), but judging by her facial expressions, she 100% slept with him.
But by the end of the movie, they are running marriage conferences together, advising couples on how to have a healthy, long-lasting marriage and dealing with conflicts. The couple put the past behind them and decided to stay together. I’m also pretty sure Alan has retired from his career as a Hostage Negotiator, possibly due to his actions in the President’s hostage situation.
